BabsY

03/06/2026

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PRIDE MONTH
June is LGBT pride month. There will be LGBT pride parades and other festivities happening across North America and abroad. And every year more and more people are joining the celebration. In fact, many Christians and whole church congregations are using this as an opportunity to demonstrate their love for the LGBT community.

Unfortunately, most people in our society—including some Christians—are confused about genuine love. They conflate acceptance and affirmation with love. Therefore, the people who do not affirm LGBT values are, by definition, unloving. But this is clearly mistaken.

It is possible to truly love someone, but not accept and affirm their ideas or behavior. We do this all the time. We all have friends and family members that we love dearly even though we disagree with—and even oppose—their behavior or ideas.

Let me give a very personal example. A friend of mine is in the midst of divorcing his wife. His actions are having detrimental effects on his wife and young daughter. I think what he’s doing is wrong; therefore, I cannot support it. However, some people in his life are supporting—and even celebrating—his decision.

Does it follow that because I don’t affirm his actions, I don’t love him? I don’t think so. In fact, it is precisely because I love him and his family that I cannot affirm his decision.

We are called to love our neighbor—including my LGBT neighbor. This isn’t a mere toleration of the person. No, this is genuine, heartfelt love. The kind of love that is kind and gentle, not arrogant or rude.

We should be the first to defend the LGBT community against mistreatment, abuse, and unjust discrimination. Anything less is wicked.

Shame on anyone who professes to be a Christian but gives the impression—by their words and actions—that God doesn’t love those who identify as le***an, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Let me say unequivocally that God loves them. In fact, He died for them.

So, what does genuine love look like?

Love by Abhorring What Is Evil
Writing to the Church in Rome, Paul says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:9-10). Please don’t miss what Paul does here. Right in the middle of describing what genuine love looks like, he inserts a crucial command: abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good.

At first read, this insertion may seem out of place. It isn’t. We need to be reminded—even commanded—that genuine love doesn’t merely affirm or celebrate wrongdoing. We all have the inclination to accept sin rather than abhor it. And it’s that acceptance that is wrongly championed as love.

For example, the Corinthian Christians were proud of their acceptance of a couple engaging in sexual sin. They didn’t abhor this sinful behavior; they accepted it. More than that, they were boasting in their tolerance (1 Cor. 5:6).

Does this sound familiar? It should. This is the stance of many churches today.

Now notice Paul’s response. When he discovered their sexual immorality, he didn’t accept it; he abhorred it. Paul writes, “For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing” (1 Cor. 5:3). And what was his motivation? He did this so that they might “be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:5). Paul modeled genuine love in the context of making a right judgment.1
Paul reiterates this point to the Corinthians a few chapters later. He says. “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6). Genuine love should never celebrate wrongdoing. It doesn’t go to parades for wrongdoing. It doesn’t wave flags, and shout and cheer at wrongdoing. On the contrary, it recoils and mourns at wrongdoing.

Love by Holding Fast to What Is Good

True love doesn’t support and celebrate wickedness. Rather, it holds fast to what is good. This is not an easy thing to do. The culture is working hard to pull you away from what is good. And it won’t stop at mere acceptance of evil. No, the culture demands that you celebrate it. And if you don’t, ironically, you will be called unloving and bigoted.

There is a price to be paid for standing for what is good, beautiful, and true. But there is also a reward. The apostle Peter says,
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Pet. 4:12-14)

In a world marred by sin, it will always be unpopular to abhor evil and hold fast to what is good. But this is what genuine love demands. Anything less is a counterfeit love because it communicates to the world that sin isn’t a problem and that repentance isn’t necessary.

This month, while the world celebrates LGBT Pride, choose to love your LGBT neighbor by being a light to the world. As an act of love, do something kind for them. Spend time getting to know each other. But don’t compromise your convictions.
Jesus modeled this best.

What Did Jesus Do?
Jesus loved sinners. This is good news because we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Quite often Jesus would spend time hanging out with sinners, but He always called them to repentance.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when He heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13)

Jesus—the most loving person that ever lived—did not affirm people in their sin. Instead, He called people He loved to turn from their sin. Jesus loves us just as we are. But He doesn’t want to leave us where we are. He wants us—all of us—to repent. This is how genuine love works.

Sometimes we need to be reminded about simple, spiritual, bedrock truths. When you feel the world’s pull, remind yourself to abhor what is evil, cling to what is good, and then go out into the world and model Jesus.

I realize that this text is specifically concerning believers. But the principle that sincere love does not affirm or celebrate sin applies universally.

Written by Tim Barnett

29/06/2025

22/06/2025

1 Peter 5:6-11 CSB
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

14/06/2025

Romans 8:26-30 ESV
[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

10/06/2025

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25

If I Die before I Wake
Unbelievers speak eulogies for their dead because they have nothing else to say. They play country songs at the funeral because they have no hymns to the resurrection. Unbelievers comment that their departed loved one looks good in the casket because a dead body is all they have and all they see and all they know. That is not what Christ tells us! Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus gives resurrection and life to us by giving Himself to us. Jesus has added His promise to the gift: “Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25–26). What will your funeral look like? Will it emulate the funerals of the unbelieving world, or will it do better than that? Perhaps we should warn our families ahead of time, telling them: “My funeral shall not be about me! Focus all attention upon the Christ who loves me and gave His life up for me! In Him I have died, which means I did not die!”

If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And when my body ends its rest, It shall arise, forever blest. Amen.

08/06/2025

The Day of Pentecost
Father, in fiery tongues, You sent Your Spirit to speak, through sinful men, Your Word to the nations. Enlighten hearts today with that Gospel message of the Savior, who fulfilled all prophecy, bore all sin, died for us, and escaped the bounds of death to give us new life. In water and Your Word, continue to build Your church as a beacon of hope and salvation. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

06/06/2025

[1] Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. [2] So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. [4] For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. | Romans 13:1-4 CSB

05/06/2025

Matthew 6:31-34 CSB
[31] So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear? ’ [32] For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. [34] Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.